Chapter 16, Summer 2021
Lowering Our Masks Jan Wade We just might ALMOST be there—back to a place where we don’t wear masks, where we can hug someone, go freely about out lives without the planning necessary during a pandemic. There is something that we might not realize yet, and it is this: WE are now the unwilling participants, the survivors, the Storytellers. We will tell and retell our experiences to people too young to remember and those not yet born. They will want to know a lot of things. They will want to ask us many questions. Some of those questions might be painful, but they will expect us to answer honestly and not mind that the questions are too direct. Some of us will make these stories entertaining. As more time passes for us, we might make some of our stories funny and make our audience laugh. It is important that we tell this big story we all shared and the uniqueness that was our individual experience. WE have to tell this story because it is unbelievable yet true and we are the only ones that can.
I think it will be hard to know the moment when I can fully put the masks away (and my kids have been so healthy the past year, I seriously wonder if we should wear them every winter!). I still fear that the whole thing is not coming to an end. I will probably keep them for a while just in case. - Nicole D. I’m going to keep wearing masks when I think they’re helpful. Last weekend my friend’s toddler had a nasty head cold so I wore a mask while inside around them and never got sick. In “before” times it was not uncommon for me to get a cold after flying/being in airports. I think moving forward, I’ll likely wear masks when flying. I think I’ll also wear one if I do get sick, to limit spread to anybody else. - Christine B. My masks are flannel and they are SO soft. I was thinking about making slippers, a bra, maybe doubling them up and making potholders…the possibilities are endless. - Jan W.
What will you do with your masks when we can really never wear them again? We are going to burn them in our outside fire pit and roast marshmallows with the flames. - Aimee S. I don't think I'll ever truly get rid of my mask. I will likely wear it in indoor public spaces for a while where unmasked people go. Also, I plan on wearing my mask when I need to go out of my house but don't feel 100% for the near future. - Ruth S. 3
